Fastener fob bags



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Modell) J. MENAHAN.

PASTI-INEE POR BAGS.

No. 329,192. Patented Oct. 27', 1885.

f" E 2L N PETERS. PhoIo-Llhogmpher. Wishinginn. l]A C iZ-faessas.

(No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J.MBNAHAN. FASTENBR. FORVBAGS.

Nof 329,192. Patented 0cm?, 1885.

ATENT FFI-CE.

JOHN MENAHAM OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FAsTiENEiR, Foa BAGS.

SEJECEFICATEQIT forming part of'Letters Patent No.`329,192, dated October 27, 1885.

l Application led J anuaryl, 18.85. Serial No.`154,'031. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MENAHAN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing-'at` New York, county and State of New York,-`

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for Bags, 85o., of which the following is a specification.

In a certain class of clasps'or fasteners for bags, `8vo., having a hinged frame atthe opening, each part of the frame has rigidly secured" to it a knob or handle, which are so arranged as to .pass laterally byand partly around each other when the bag is closed, as shown in lLetters Patent No. 290,906, granted to me December 25, 1883. Such a fastener isadapted to fastener is very convenient for use and easy to manipulate, it does not provlde a positive catch for the mouth of the bag, the spring of the frame being depended upon-to hold 'the parts of the frame together by the knobs asV they pass by one another, and the frictionalcont-act of the knobs isv liable to be overcome whenthe frame is subjected tosudden shocks, thus allowing the bag to open.

This invention has for its object to make'a fastener for bags, satchels, purses, &c., which,

while embodying the advantageous capability of being manipulated -by one hand, will afford a perfectly secure lock-fastening, and also to improve and simplify the construction .of

spring-catches for bags, 85o., and at the-.sametime add to the finished appear-ance` of `the frames. -To this end each side or part ofthe frame has projecting upwardly from it a knob or handle, which knobs'or handlesare about in line with one another when theV vframe is closed. One of these knobs or handles may be firmly secured to its side of the frame, aindthe other one so connected to the other sidel of the frame as to be movable thereon, so as`V to release a spring-catch carried by one side ofthe frame and-arranged to catch into a suitable notch or opening in the other side whenl the frame isclosed. This. spring-catch holdsA the parts of the frame securely and positively together, and Vrnust be released from its notch' before they can be separated, which is accomplished by pressing the two knobs apart by the thumb and one of the fingers or other parts of one hand. .This manipulation of the knobs or handles` by one handl first moves back Vthe movable yknob or handle, and so releases the-spring-catch, and then further separates the knobs and the parts of the frame to open the mouth of the bag. Both of theprojecting` knobs may be movable on their respective sidesof the frame and constructed to release tudinal cuts in the auxiliary strip, joined atI ione -of-their ends by a transverse out, the piece embraced by said cuts being bent so as to be abovethe surface of the strip. This auxiliary strip `replaces 'the base-plate of the lock, the box-or coverof thelock being secured directly to it over the spring. v

Various kinds of spring-catches for bags may 'be-used with and operated by the movable -handle or handles, as will now be fully described, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front view of a bagframe closed, showing my improved fastener applied thereto, in which one of the operating-handles is movable and the other one fixed. Fig 2, Sheet 1, is a plan view of the same, partly open. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, is a side View, also partly open. Fig. 4, Sheet 1, is a longitudinal central section of the fastener closed, on a slightly enlarged scale. Fig. 5, Sheet 1, -is a transverse section on the line x .7, Fig. 4. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, Sheet 2, are vie-ws corresponding to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, Sheet V1, showing a modification in the constructiony of the spring-catch. Fig. 11, Sheet 2, isa longitudinal section of another modifi- IOO cation in whichl only one of the handles is movable. Fig. 12, Sheet 2, is a plan view of the same. Fig. 13, Sheet 2, is a plan view, partly in section, of afastener in which both handles are movable. Fig. 14, Sheet 2, is a section of the same on the line y y. Fig. 15, Sheet 2, is a plan view of a modification in which both handles are movable,working two independent catches; and Fig. 16, Sheet 2, is a section of the same on the line z z.

My improved fastener is adapted to be applied to metal frames of any form of crosssection. In Figs. 1 to 5 an angle-frame, a and a', is shown, the parts of which are pivoted toget-her in the usual manner, and au auxiliary strip of metal, b, of a Width equal to both parts of the frame, is secured to them by their connecting-pivots, and to the part a, the inner edge of Which it overlaps and covers the part a when the frame is closed, thus hiding any imperfections in the meeting edges of the parts a and a, and imparting to the two sides ofthe frame a uniform appearance. This covering-strip b acts as a base-plate for the lock, and the spring c is integral therewith and is formed longitudinally in this strip b by being cut on three sides and bent up` at the fourth side or one of its ends above the surface of the strip b. This spring cis provided with a down- Wardly-proj ecting tongue, d, formed by a portion of its metal being cut and bent from its central part. The box d incloses the spring c and is secured at its ends to the strip b by means of rivets, which also pass through the iiange of the frame a, thereby securing all the parts rigidly together. Before the box d is secured in position the lifting-plate eis placed under the free end of the spring c. This plate e has an arm, e', bent at right angles to it, which projects upwardly through a slot in the box (Z, and to the top of this arm is secured the knob or handle c. This arm e has sufticient play in the slot in the box to allow the plate c to rock under the spring and raise it when the knob or handle e2 is forced over. On the other part, a', of the frame is secured by means of rivets the plate f, having a hasp, f, projecting over the top of the frame, and so located as to enter an opening in the box cZ and pass under the spring c,whose projecting tongue c enters the opening or slot in the hasp f', and so holds the two parts a and a of the bag-frame together, said fastening being very secure by reason of the hasp lying between the spring c and the base plate or strip b. The hasp-platef has an extension, f2, which projects over the top of the frame, and to which is secured the handle g, arranged to be in line with the movable handle When the frame is closed.

It will be observed that this fastener is adapted to be released, and the mouth of the bag to which it is applied opened by one continuous operation ofthe thumb and forenger or other parts of one hand, by bearing in opposite directions on the handles c2 and g, as shown by the dotted lines representing a hand in Figs. l and 3. The first action moves the handle e2 on the part a of the frame, thereby tilting the lifting-plate e, which vertically lifts the free end of the spring c until its tongue c ,clears the top of the hasp f. Further pressure in opposite directions on the handles c2 and g separates the parts a and a', as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In the modifications shown'in Figs. 6 to 10 two similarly-formed boxes, h and t, are re.- spectively secured to the parts a and a of the frame, which are here shown' as being cylindrical in form and without the covering-strip b. In the box h is pivoted the lifting-plate i, having a projection, t', arranged under an opening in the top of the box, and a stem projecting up through a slot in the top of the box, to which stem is secured the knob or handle i2; and on the top of the box h is secured the spring j and the knob or handle j', the spring j being longitudinally arranged and provided at its free end with a projection, j, which falls into the opening in the box h when the bag is closed. The spring j is first released when the fastener is manipulated, as before described, by the knob t2 moving over, and so causing the projection i on the plate to push the projection j of the spring out of the opening in the top of the box h.

Figs. 11 and 12 show a moditicatiomin which a longitudinally-sliding bolt, k, fitted in the box Z, secured to one part of the frame, is caused by its spring 7c' to engage in an opening in the end of the box Z', secured to the other part of the frame. A stationary knob or handle, m,is secured to the box Z, and a movable knob or handle, m', to the box Z. This movable knob or handle m is secured to the camplate a, pivoted to the top of the box Z at a', which plate n, by means of a cam-slot therein, engages a pin, k2, projecting from the sliding bolt 7c up-through a longitudinal slot in the top of the box Z, so that when the handle m is pressed back the bolt 7c is Withdrawn from the opening in the box Z and the bag, &c., opened, as before described.

When it is desired to have both of the knobs or handles movable, and arranged to operate a positive catch, according to my invention, the plan shown at Figs. 13 and 14 may be adopted. In theseNicWs the boxes o and o', secured respectively to the parts a and a of the frame, have centrally pivoted in them the rocking plates p and q, each of which is provided With a projection, respectively, p and q', which catch over or into notches q2 and p2, formed in q and p, after passing through openings in the approaching corners of the boxes, as the bag is closed, thus forming a double lock, to release Which each of the knobs or handles yp3 Q3, secured respectively to the rocking plates p and q, has only to be moved a small distance. These plates p and q may be in the same plane. In Fig. 14 they are put in different planes to more clearly show their construction, and they are actuated by springs r and r.

In Figs. 15 and 16 each of the knobs s and t IOO IIO

IIS

IZO

actuates by being secured to an independent catch,which catches are composed of the plates s t', pivoted in their respective boxes, .s2 and t2, and having their free ends bent down, so as to engage in slots or openings formed in the parts of the frame opposite to that to which their holding-boxes s2 and t2 are respectively secured, they being held dow'n by springs placed between their upper sides and the tops of their respective boxes.

Having now described the nature of my inventjon and several methods by which it can, be practically applied, I do not wish to limit myself to any particular construction in putting my invention into practice; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fastener for bags, Src., in combination, the two parts of a hinged frame, a positive spring lock or catch for securing the two parts of the frame together, and two -similar knobs or handles, one attached to each partof the frame and connected to the spring-catch,.so

arrangedv when the bag is closed as to be manipulated by one hand, and by which the spring catch or lock is first released and the parts of the frame then separated by one continuous motion applied to the knobs or handles, substantially as set forth.

2. In acfastener for bags, &c., in combination, a spring-catch and a movable liftingplate provided with an upwardly-projecting knob or handle carried by one part of the frame, and a hasp-plate and upwardly-projecting knob or handle secured to the other part o f the frame, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fastener for bags, 850., a verticallymoving spring-catch secured at one end to one part of the frame, and a tilting lifting-plate when the/bag is closed, and a hasp arranged 'to engage the spring-catch, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a fastener for bags, Ste., in combinal tion, a lock secured to one part of the frame and composed of a base-plate covering the top and sides of the same, said base-plate having a springcatch integral therewith, a .liftingplate located under the free end of the spring and having an upwardly-projecting arm, a box inclosing said spring and lifting-plate, and a hasp and projecting knob or handle secured to the other part of the frame, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination, the spring-catch c, the lifting-plate e, provided with the knob or handle e', the inclosing--boX d, the hasp f and the knob or handle g, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In combination, the bag-frame a a', the covering-strip b, provided with the springcatch c, integral therewith, and the hasp f, and means, substantially as described, for raising the spring-catch and separating the two parts of the frame, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand, at New York, county and. State of New York, this 24th day of January, 1,885.

JOHN MENAHAN. 

